Siege of Huaxtepec

The Siege of Huaxtepec occurred in 1525 during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. A detachment of Spanish and native mercenary soldiers which had split from Hernan Cortes' main army captured the Aztec city of Huaxtepec, which was converted into a Spanish city.

Following the Fall of Tenochtitlan, Cuitlahuac and his royal court fled to Huaxtepec, located to the north of Tenochtitlan. The conquistador Cortes, who had just defeated an Aztec army in the Battle of Ixtlahuaca, decided to continue his campaign against the Aztecs by advancing on the Aztec northern strongholds. He dispatched Captain Simon with 651 troops (only around 15% of which were Spanish) to seize the Huaxtepec, and the Spanish and their allies prepared a battering ram for this purpose. However, when the time came for battle, the Aztecs charged out of the walls and attempted to attack the numerically superior Spanish forces. The Spanish showed such great resolve that many of the Aztec warriorrs panicked and fled, and the Spanish and their native allies pursued them and butchered the garrison. The city was forced to surrender, and the Spanish decided to convert Huaxtepec into a Spanish city, sparing it the destruction seen in Tenochtitlan.